Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Assault Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 9, 2012

Screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, French helmer Julien Leclercq's "L'assaut" a.k.a "The Assault" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal. The only supplemental feature on the disc is the film's original theatrical trailer. In French and Arabic, with imposed English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Thierry

French director Julien Leclercq’s The Assault recreates a true event. On December 24, 1994, four members of the Algerian Armed Islamic Group (AAIG) hijacked an Air France plane in Algiers which was bound for Paris. After hours of fruitless negotiations, the plane was eventually allowed to leave Algiers and head to Marseille for refueling. There, GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale/National Gendarmerie Intervention Group), a special unit of the French Armed Forces, were ordered to neutralize the terrorists. The assault was closely monitored by the French government. It was also broadcast live on French TV.

In the film, GIGN are led by Thierry P. (Vincent Elbaz, Le Dernier Gang), a brave man who can no longer handle the emotional pressure that comes with his profession. Most of the key events are seen strictly through his eyes. Occasionally, brief fragments without Thierry also inform the viewer about other important developments that have an impact on the ongoing negotiations.

The early footage from inside the plane is fairly straightforward. In Algiers, the terrorists announce their demands and later on execute different passengers after the Algerian government refuses to meet them. After the action moves to Marseille, the film suddenly switches gears - the negotiations become very intense, while the footage from the raid reminds about a real-time documentary feature with real commandos being filmed in action. The camera constantly moves and observes the shootouts from awkward angles, often creating the impression that it also tries to dodge the bullets.

Excluding a couple of very short scenes where Thierry is seen with his family, the film is completely free of melodrama. Each sequence has a very specific purpose and the tension is never artificially boosted. The dialog is never cluttered with pointless jargon either.

The overall atmosphere in the film is quite eerie. Once the terrorists board the plane, a real sense of danger emerges and never fades away. The chaos that ensues on and off the plane is very well filmed. The action sequences are done with a great sense of balance as well - they are very realistic, raw, and completely devoid of glamor.

The film’s only weakness is its relentless tempo. Often one event is replaced with another so fast that it almost feels like one is watching a series of documentary clips. However, admittedly the approach keeps the film free of the melodrama that is present in other similarly themed films.

The acting is very convincing. Elbaz, a young and well respected in France actor, is terrific as Thierry P, a professional who feels that the pressure he must endure each day is slowly changing his personality. There is one short sequence early into the film where he returns home and for a short period of time the camera studies his face. He remains quiet but his eyes reveal exactly how he feels. Aymen Saïdi, who plays the leader of the Algerian fanatics, is also terrific. There isn’t a single scene in the film where he does not look scary.

The Assault was lensed by Thierry Pouget, who worked as an assistant cameraman on Patrice Chereau’s acclaimed La reine Margot and Milcho Manchevski's award winning drama Before the Rain.

Note: Last year, The Assault was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The Assault Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Julien Leclercq's The Assault arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal.

Aside from the fact that this release uses an interlaced transfer, the presentation is indeed very strong. Detail is excellent both during close-ups (see screencapture #1) and large panoramic shots (see screencapture #3). Clarity also never disappoints, even during the nighttime sequences where some of the action is observed from afar. Color reproduction is also very good - there are a variety of very cold grays, blues, and blacks that give the film a notably raw look. There are no traces of post-production lab tinkering. During normal viewing, motion-judder is virtually impossible to spot (I personally was never distracted). There are some minor contrast fluctuations, particularly when light is restricted and there are quick transitions from one event to another, but these fluctuations are directly related to the manner in which the film was shot (digitally). All in all, this is a fine presentation of The Assault, but I wonder why Studio Canal did not use the progressive transfer TF1/Mars Distribution used for their Blu-ray release in France. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Assault Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French LPCM 2.0 (with portions of Arabic). For the record, Studio Canal have provided imposed English subtitles for the main feature (they cannot be turned off).

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track gives the film a tremendous boost. During the second half, where GIGN raid the plane, a few of the shootouts are likely to test the muscles of your audio system - the sound is very aggressive, exceptionally crisp and at the same time remarkably thick. The surround channels are intelligently used, placing the viewer right in the middle of the fire exchanges between the special forces and the terrorists. The dialog is always crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

The Assault Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original French trailer for The Assault. In French and Arabic, with imposed English subtitles. (3 min, 1080/50i).

The Assault Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I liked this film quite a lot. It is gritty, very intense, and never too emotional. Perhaps it is a bit too fast at times, but it definitely accomplishes its goal. Despite the fact that Studio Canal's release uses an interlaced transfer, the presentation is indeed very good. I also believe that this is the one and only English-friendly release of The Assault. If you reside in a Region-A territory but wish to see the film, please keep in mind that this is a Region-B "locked" release. RECOMMENDED.